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Ci5160RL-THX

Quick Overview

The Ci5160RL-THX is crafted with a massive aluminium baffle to eliminate vibration and is the perfect platform for the 160mm aluminium cone Uni-Q with tangerine waveguide, and four 160mm woofers. Capable of bi-wire and bi-amplifier connections the Ci5160RL-THX delivers on the performance promise of all KEF R Series speakers.

Features

Specifications

Learn more about THX

Ci Software Download

Features

Ci5160RL-THX

For the ultimate in custom installed Extreme Home Theatre, the formidable new Ci R Series has the jaw-dropping acoustic capabilities of the classic KEF floorstander it's named after, with all the drama and emotional intensity of full theatre sound quality.

The Ci R Series consists of an in-ceiling speaker that can be combined with one of two in-wall models, and a sensational new powered subwoofer. As you might expect, its towering performance sets a new standard for custom installed speakers.

The Ci5160RL-THX is crafted with a massive aluminium baffle to eliminate vibration and is the perfect platform for the 160mm aluminium cone Uni-Q with tangerine waveguide, and four 160mm woofers. Capable of bi-wire and bi-amplifier connections the Ci5160RL-THX delivers on the performance promise of all KEF R Series speakers.

THX ULTRA 2

Ci5160RL-THX is an in-wall speaker certified to THX ULTRA2 standards. A deep understanding of the filmmaking process and surround sound is at the very heart of every THX certified 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 speaker system. Engineered with design characteristics of professional studio speakers, THX recreates the tonal balance of the filmmaker's final mix in your living room. The results? Action sequences are impactful, and dialogue-driven moments are natural and engaging. THX certified in-wall speakers deliver the appropriate frequency response and high output and imaging quality of a traditional box speaker. This provides the best of both worlds - THX surround sound performance from components that blend harmoniously with any room decor.

KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to amend or change specifications. E&OE. THX, the THX logo, and Ultra2 are trademarks of THX Ltd. THX and the THX logo are registered in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. All rights reserved.

Learn more about THX

The THX Story

Born out of the Star Wars legacy and tied to one of the world's most acclaimed filmmakers, no other brand resonates with consumers as deeply, and with greater trust than THX.

One week after "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" debuted in theatres, George Lucas hired audio scientist, Tomlinson Holman, to design the audio mixing facilities at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Northern California. To begin the project, Lucas gave Holman one year to examine film audio throughout the entire production chain - from the set to the theatre, and everything in between. Holman's goal was to find a way to improve cinematic sound production and create specifications to design the state-of-the-art audio mixing rooms that would eventually house Skywalker Sound.

During that year, Holman was shocked to discover the state of most commercial cinemas. While Dolby Laboratories had made significant contributions to how sound was recorded and played back on film, no one had control over what happened on the production set or in the theatre itself. Holman found that most commercial theatres had not seen significant technology improvements since World War II. Viewing angles were poor, inadequate light levels distorted images, and the quality of sound systems and auditorium acoustics made it impossible to hear the dialogue, let alone experience the filmmaker's vision.

Bringing the THX Experience to Moviegoers

After the Skywalker Sound audio facilities and Stag Theatre were completed, Lucasfilm began receiving requests from visiting commercial theatre owners and Hollywood studio executives to incorporate the Ranch's performance standards into their cinema auditoriums and aging mixing rooms. Realizing that this could change the way moviegoers experienced feature films, Lucas and the soon-to-be THX team designed a certification program to go beyond the walls of Skywalker Ranch. Thus, THX was born, and made available to movie audiences to coincide with the release of Lucas' next film, "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" in 1983.

The Process of THX Product Certification

The THX testing process usually begins early in product development. Manufacturers ship samples to the THX Testing Lab in Northern California where a team of expert technicians carefully analyzes each sample and produces reports on their findings. Big reports! They cover hundreds of data points and virtually every aspect of the product's operational performance.

These findings are then sent to the manufacturer with suggestions for fixing any problems that could prevent certification. In many cases, THX requires the manufacturer to adjust the product's design or firmware and integrate THX playback features to improve performance and meet the THX spec. Further testing, modifications, tweaks and upgrades are done, and the manufacturer sends back the product for final evaluation.

With all of this testing from THX, the consumer is assured that the speaker system they are purchasing meets the highest standards for quality and compatibility right out of the box.

THX Audio Certification Categories

THX has multiple certification categories based on the room size in which the equipment will be installed. This ensures a THX home theatre system will play loud & clear without audible distortion at THX reference levels in specific room sizes and at specific viewing distances from the screen. This also certifies that the subwoofers will properly pressurize the theatre, so that even the most demanding of movie sound effects are heard and felt with visceral clarity. Of all the THX certification standards Ultra2 is the most demanding as Ultra2 systems are designed for room larger than 85 cubic meters (3000 cubic feet) with viewing distances from the screen greater than 4 meters (12 Feet).

Ci Software Download

1. KEF Speaker Placement Tool

Created by KEF UK engineering, the "KEF Speaker Placement Tool" is a software program* designed to assist you in the placement and layout of KEF Ci loudspeakers. Able to accommodate both 70V/100V and stereo music systems the software will graphically show room sound coverage, show speaker layout, and to provide wiring diagrams. For your convenience room layouts can be saved, printed, exported, and retrieved for future reference.

* KEF Speaker Placement Tool currently runs only on Windows based machines. Due to a compatibility issue between the "KEF Ci Speaker Placement Tool" and the latest version of Java, previous versions of the "KEF Ci Speaker Placement Tool" may not run. To correct this problem please uninstall the KEF Ci Software and then download and install the latest version from the link on this page.

2. KASA500 Software Update Tool

KASA500 is a powerful Class-D Dual 250WPC amplifier. This DSP controlled system amplifier is optimized to deliver thunderous bass from KEF Ci subwoofers. With both line and speaker level inputs, and DSP configurable pass-through with optional high pass filters – the KASA500 is versatile and can be deployed in limitless system configurations. To allow for future flexibility KEF engineers may update the KASA500 DSP firmware to optimize performance with additional KEF speakers. The KASA500 Programmer* is a proprietary tool for updating the KASA500 firmware. NOTE: KASA500 software requires a "USB Type A Male to USB Type A Male cable" for connection between your computer and the KASA500.